This invention relates to dissolvable adhesive articles, and more particularly, to linerless dissolvable labels and tapes. This invention further relates to the process for manufacturing the linerless dissolvable adhesive articles.
Linerless labels and tapes are typically manufactured by applying a pressure sensitive adhesive to the back side of a paper or synthetic continuous substrate or web and then applying a release coating to the face side of the substrate. The resultant article is then wound upon itself to form a roll. The release coating on the face of the substrate permits the article to be unwound without the adhesive sticking to the substrate.
The typical process for manufacturing linerless labels and tapes is difficult to use when the substrate is a dissolvable paper. Dissolvable papers generally have low web strength and tear easily during subsequent processing steps, such as those required for producing linerless labels and tapes, and for winding the linerless tape and labels into a roll. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a dissolvable linerless adhesive article that can be wound upon itself, and then unwound while maintaining its integrity.
The present invention is directed to a linerless dissolvable pressure sensitive adhesive article comprising: a dissolvable facestock having an upper surface and a lower surface; a dissolvable adhesive layer having an upper and a lower surface wherein the upper surface of the adhesive layer is adhered to the lower surface of the dissolvable facestock; and a release coating overlying the upper surface of the dissolvable facestock.
The present invention is further directed to a method for producing a linerless dissolvable adhesive article comprising the steps of:
applying a dissolvable pressure sensitive adhesive to a release liner having a release surface to form an adhesive layer releasably adhered to the release surface of the release liner;
applying a dissolvable facestock to the adhesive layer;
applying a release material to the dissolvable facestock to form a release layer on the dissolvable facestock;
removing the release liner from the dissolvable pressure sensitive adhesive to form a multilayer structure comprising a dissolvable facestock having an upper and lower surface, a release layer on the upper surface of the facestock and a dissolvable adhesive layer adhered to the lower surface of the facestock; and
winding the multilayer structure into a roll.